A deadly veil lies over the race weekend of the International German Motorcycle Championship at the Hockenheimring. Superbike rider Leon Langstädtler crashes at a fast point on the track, a rider following behind is no longer able to avoid it. The 24-year-old died shortly thereafter.
Motorcycle racer Leon Langstädtler died in an accident during a training run at the Hockenheimring. During the second free practice session of the IDM Superbike on Friday, Langstädtler fell in a curve and, according to the police, was hit by another rider. Accordingly, the 24-year-old was initially “solely involved”, i.e. without direct contact with a competitor. A subsequent pilot was no longer able to avoid it, resulting in a serious collision.
The International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) confirmed the death on their website. The young athlete from Idstein in Hesse died at the scene of the accident. According to the police, the other driver was flown to a clinic with a rescue helicopter with serious injuries. Despite the terrible incident, the event will continue this weekend, reports Südwestrundfunk. According to SWR, there will be a minute’s silence on Saturday evening at the racetrack south of Mannheim in Baden-Württemberg.
Friday training was canceled after the serious accident, but Langstädtler succumbed to his injuries despite the intensive efforts of the rescue and medical staff. The public prosecutor’s office in Heidelberg ordered an investigation into the course of the accident and therefore immediately commissioned an expert, according to the SWR.
According to “Speedweek”, Langstädtler was on a fast lap with his BMW machine for the “F73 Academy/Werk2 Racing Team by MCA” when he fell at the entrance to the Motodrom. “You’re up to 200 kilometers per hour before the curve,” the motorsport medium quoted an unnamed Superbike driver as saying. The collision was therefore also no longer preventable.
